The Price of Power

“Highly readable…A staunchly evenhanded narrative from the perspective of a perceptive and knowledgeable outsider.”–Jean Parvin Bordewich, Washington Monthly“Tackett’s riveting and inspirational book is a valuable contribution and a must-read…a superb reminder that politics is the art of the possible.”–Kelly D. Johnston, Against the Grain“The most comprehensive and fair-minded account of McConnell’s life and career.”–Ira Shapiro, Washington Independent”[A] fine, evenhanded McConnell biography”–George F. Will, Washington Post“Fascinating…A superb insider’s portrait of the sphinx of the Senate.”–Kirkus“Detailed and informative biography… assiduously researched…”–Jacob Heilbrunn, Washington Post“Excellent…A very important book.”–Wolf Blitzer, The Situation Room“Here is the story of arguably the most consequential leader of the United States Senate in American history. Drawing on remarkable access to Mitch McConnell and to the senator’s lifetime of papers, Michael Tackett has given us a clear-eyed account of a lawmaker and a politician who, for better or for worse, has fundamentally shaped the way we live now.”–Jon Meacham, Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer

Michael Tackett is an award-winning journalist with more than three decades of experience covering national politics, including nine presidential elections. He is currently the Deputy Washington Bureau Chief for the Associated Press. Before that, he was an editor and reporter for The New York Times, Washington Bureau Chief for both Bloomberg News and the Chicago Tribune, and National Editor for US News & World Report. He is a recipient of the White House Correspondents Association’s Edgar A. Poe Award for National Reporting. His first book, The Baseball Whisperer, tells the story of a summer league baseball team in Clarinda, Iowa, that helped shape dozens of major league players. He lives in Alexandria, Virginia.